After-Factory Days
by frechi123
Summary: One year after all the crazy factory shenanigans, the other four kids beg to go back so they can visit their friend. Join Augustus, Violet, Veruca, Mike, and Charlie on their crazy in-factory and out-of-factory shenanigans - with the Oompa Loompas and Willy Wonka, of course, and two old acquaintances they'd rather not see again. (2005 story-verse with 1971/musical refs)
1. Chapter 1: I Want To Go Now!

"Daddy!" I cry out from the front door entryway.

My dad comes rushing out from his study. "What is it, Veruca? I'm in the middle of something."

Ugh! Ever since that little factory kerfuffle he never has time for me anymore! Granted, I probably deserve him yelling at me when I ask him for anything, but that doesn't mean he gets to stop fathering! He can do that when I'm gone.

I hold up the letter that made me draw his attention in the first place. "Look at this letter I got!"

He examines the envelope in the hand that isn't raised. "Oh no, you don't. That's the Wonka Seal, isn't it? You're not going anywhere near that kook again."

I roll my eyes. "It's not even from _him_, Daddy. It's from Charlie."

"The Bucket kid?" Daddy asks. I nod, and then he adds, "Why's he sending you letters?"

"He wants us to come visit," I explain.

"What? Who's 'us'?" he asks, with a confused head shake. "You're not making much sense, Veruca."

I stomp my foot on the ground. "It's in one ear and out the other with you now, Daddy! Just because you've decided to put your foot down doesn't mean to completely ignore me!" I sigh. "I told you: last year, a few weeks after the factory ordeal, I started getting letters from the other kids, kinda like a pen pal thing - because we all had the same ordeal and I need better people to talk to. We decided that we were going to meet up exactly one year from then, just to catch up in person and stuff. And it's today! Daddy, you have to drive me over there right away!"

He narrows his eyes at me. "No, Veruca. I'm not taking you down there. You'll just have to let your little friends down."

I scream, rushing up to him. "No! You can't let me miss this! Please! Do this one thing for me!"

"Why should I?" he snaps, stepping back. "It'll be one thing after the other with you, like it used to."

"No, it won't!" I say to him. "I've managed to restrain myself for a whole year, and I even let you drag me down to the hospital when the trash started actually decomposing my bones. You know how I feel about going to the hospital; that's why I prefer the family doctor coming here!"

I move my arms a bit to prove the point. They move a bit limply now because the doctor actually said the garbage went right to my core. It took three whole months to get all the physical garbage off, but the smell still lingers very faintly, if you get close enough to me. And that in turn made my bones go a bit soft. If I don't keep my intake of calcium to harden them, then they will go too soft and I'll lose all my mobility permanently.

"What's your point?" asks Daddy, now with an eye roll. Mom peers into the room from behind the door, drink in hand, blank looking like always.

"I've put in the effort, stopped being so whiny, left you alone, even gave some of my things to charity! Well, I'm not all that upset about that part, it felt good," I say, with a shrug, "but why can't this be my reward?!" I drop to my knees. "_Please_, Daddy! I'm begging you!"

"Veruca, my word is _final_." Daddy punches out all of the next words. "I. Am. Not. Taking. You!"

I spring right up. "I HATE YOU!" I scream at the top of my lungs, running off to my room in a sobbing mess. Mom shrinks back into the room again.

—

Ugh! I can't believe he won't let me go! I don't care what he says, I'm getting there one way or the other, even if I have to run there! And everyone knows how I usually feel about that.

Then it hits me. My aunt is in town! And she hardly ever agrees with anything my dad says anyway. Surely she can take me!

I reach over on my bed for my phone, buried in the cover. I dial her number and wait patiently for her to pick up.

"Verushka!" I hear my aunt's familiar Russian accent after a few beats. "How are you, dear?"

I smile. "Hi, Auntie Sasha! I'm doing pretty good."

Pause. "What do you need?"

"Can you give me a ride to somewhere?" I ask. "It's an emergency! Friendship is on the line here."

Another pause. Then the magic words: "Where to, babushka?"

—

"Thanks, Auntie!" I call out to the helicopter that drops me off at the factory across town. My aunt sticks her head out the window.

"_Dosvedanya_, Verushka!" she calls back, as it flies away. "Safe travels!"

I pick up my pink furry suitcase and run up to the gate. I'm about to knock when I hear the sound of a blade spinning behind me. I turn around to find the Flying Glass Elevator hovering behind me.

I wave to it. "Hi!" In response, it plays a happy tone and then opens its doors for me to step inside.

_Whoosh!_

Away it flies, over a new area outside the factory that I've never seen. Charlie's house is sitting atop a new sugary coated plateau. I guess they finally let Wonka airlift their house here (and finally convinced him that family is not an issue).

Moments later I'm in the long hall entryway Wonka had taken us down last year to start off the factory. I look around. Huh. Nothing really changes around here, and yet a lot still did. Sometimes I blame this place for my new weird warped way of thinking.

I start walking towards the door to the rest of the factory to call out for someone when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I turn around and there he is. Charlie Bucket. He's approaching me with an Oompa Loompa by his side, following silently.

"Hello, Veruca!" he calls out to me, waving.

I put down my suitcase and wave back. "Hi! It's nice to see you again."

As soon as he reaches me we do a funky handshake. "You're the first to arrive. Hopefully the others will be coming later today or by tomorrow," Charlie explains. "They won't be here any later than the end of this week, though."

"Uh oh, hide your candy, you know once Auggie sees all this, he might not be able to help himself, right?" I joke, and he laughs at this. "No matter. Are we going to be staying somewhere while we're here?"

He nods. "Yeah. Come on, we have to take the Candy Boat to get there."

On our way through the Chocolate Room, he suddenly asks, "So, how have you been doing?"

I know he means after the whole factory ordeal. "Good, I suppose, nothing that I hadn't already told you - you know, withdrawing from my overly-luxurious lifestyle. And you know what? It felt good to do that, knowing that I was solving problems as opposed to contributing to them." Then I wave my arm and it starts moving slightly like a damp noodle. "But I'm still trying to get used to this whole new bone thing. I swear that garbage must have been magical and cursed to literally start sucking the hardness right out of my bones. Good thing I brought my calcium shots and some milk before I got here. I'm not in the mood to be moving around like a jellyfish."

"What about your parents?" asks Charlie. "What are they doing?"

I suck in my cheeks. Here we go.

"My mom's still being just as unresponsive as she was before all this. Pretty sure that's the Botox talking. Go figure. My dad, on the other hand..." I cross my arms. "He's literally throwing himself into his work and is ignoring me. And I don't mean for when I want some stupid thing, either, I mean he's hardly even around. I have to order take out if I want to eat, because Mom's getting lazy, and the cook's on vacation. Honestly, he deserves one."

Charlie raises an eyebrow. "Uh, don't you think that's a little insane? Your dad just stopped parenting you?"

I shrug. "What can I say? Daddy's insane." I turn back in the direction we're walking. "Oh, we're here."

We hop into the Candy Boat and off we go towards the tunnels again. Halfway through I feel a vibration in my purse. I know it's probably my dad so I don't answer it.

Moments later, the boat stops and we're on a ski lift over what Charlie tells me is Fudge Mountain. The mountain looks quite delicious, of course, and Charlie says the Oompa-Loompas can bring us a few pieces when they're done because they know how to navigate the mountains.

—

I have excused myself to walk around the Factory a bit. Of course, I try to avoid the Nut Room like it's my dad. He's worse than the plague.

Emphasis on try.

I hear a chitter. Right by the door. I freeze. Too scared to turn around.

It gets louder. I take off running, screaming.

And crash right into a pole.

_"Ow!"_

Wait... that's not me. And that's not a pole.

I look up.

_"Mike?!"_


	2. Chapter 2: Ignorance is Parenting

"Michael!"

I look up from my piles of next week's completed homework. "Yes, Mom?"

"Come down here!"

Sighing, I stand up and prepare to wobble a bit due to imbalance. I'm not even in high school yet, and I'm almost 6 feet, about my dad's height. I was worse off earlier, 11 feet and weak limb support, until Charlie sent me some candies they were testing that modify height.

Imagine my surprise when I see that they worked. Only one of my arms is still sensitive, like paper. I'm glad I'm ambidextrous.

Once I reach the bottom of the stairs, my parents are standing at the bottom, glaring at me. What did I forget this time? Ever since the factory ordeal, I've been politer, more active, and even further ahead in school than I used to be. But my parents are still their lazy, sort of withdrawn selves, but worse. They used to not bother me at all when I was in the gaming zone. Now when they're calling me, it's just to yell at me or make me do some chores. Doing chores isn't the problem here, don't get me wrong. It's just like they have turned me into their butler or something — they don't do anything that is not their bare necessities. All of that "extra" stuff, they leave up to me.

My schoolmates say I grew up too fast, and I can't even argue with them. I'm 14 now and I already know how to drive. Veruca's a bit jealous of that because she is 13 and her dad won't even discuss it, let alone teach her.

"Mom, Dad, what is it?" I ask.

Mom's swaying on her feet — has she been drinking her "mommy water" again? — and her arms are taughtly crossed. "Why didn't you take out the garbage this morning?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Because it's not full yet?" I always take out the garbage on the designated days — but only when it's at least half full. Otherwise it's just a waste.

"Are you blind?" she asks me. I'm visibly taken aback by this, and she grabs my arm and drags me into the kitchen. "What does that look like to you?!" She points at the bag by the half-full can that is clearly full and was not there earlier.

"Mom," I say, my hands literally about to do the boi motion (Vi had to explain this to me, I'm the tech genius but I avoid memes like the plague), "either you suddenly filled the other half of the trash in, like, minutes, and didn't bother to take it out yourself, or this is Friday's trash sitting right here." I only dare do this when she is drunk and so more subdued. "So which is it?"

"We didn't see you take it out. So you didn't," Dad says, walking in right there.

Lord, sounds like a Vine the girls emailed me.

"Ugh, I can't wait until I head over to the factory," I mutter, picking the bag up. "I'm going to need all the friends to get me through this."

Since my parents are following me out they overhear me, and as soon as the bag is down I'm dragged straight backwards by my shirt.

"Why would you be going anywhere near that factory?" Dad asks.

"Gee, I don't know," I hiss sarcastically, with a dramatic shrug. "You'd think with all your eavesdropping you do to me, you would already know."

Mom narrows. "Don't go there, mister. Just tell us."

"It's the day that Charlie Bucket has invited me and the other kids to the factory just to hang out in person." I walk back inside, hearing them on my heels. Then I reach into the living room desk and pull out a letter. "We have been pen pals for a good chunk of last year. We've been planning this."

They stare at me like I have grown another head. Gone are the days of elementary school when I was obsessed with cowboys and still TV.

I walk into my room and waltz back out with an old school backpack, packed with my necessities. "I'm already packed. You just have to drive me there."

It seems that finally snaps them out of it. Mom says, "You should have told us."

_"I did,"_ I enunciate with the stomping of my foot. "Over and over. You just picked and chose what you wanted to hear."

"We're not driving you over," Dad says, crossing his arms.

My mouth drops. _"Excuse me?"_

"You heard me, Mike, we're not taking you!"

"Oh no, you lost the ability to parent me when you started treating me like the help." I march past them straight to the front door. "So I'm going to do what all workers do when they're displeased."

The door is open.

My parents are shocked.

_"I QUIT!"_

The door slams shut.

And that is that.

—

The taxi drive is long. It's okay. It gives me time to think to myself.

Did I really just do that? Walk out on my parents?

_Did they really start treating you like a servant for nearly a whole year?_

I sigh.

Why is this my life right now?

—

It's late by the time I finally get there. The gates are the same as I remember. I push them open and walk right up to the entrance, unaware of the whizzing sounds behind me.

"Hello?" I call out, as I walk through the main hall, still hot as ever. I look around. Nothing looks much different here.

I turn a hall that wasn't taken by us on the tour. I can hear chittering which means I'm close to the Nut Room. Lord, those squirrels are being loud for some reason.

Moments later, there are someone's screams piled into the mess. And then something comes barreling right into me. It's a miracle I stay standing because they were running full on.

Then I hear my name. And I look down.

_"Veruca?!"_

Sure enough, the Salt heiress is on her knees from when she's fallen, right there in front of me. I offer a hand and help her up.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" I notice that she has a blanket wrapped around her frame, so she's probably wandering around.

"Just walking around," she replies. There's another loud chitter and she shudders. "I'm never going to get used to that."

I nod solemnly. I saw her get thrown down the chute by those things. It couldn't be helped if she never wanted to hear, let alone see, a squirrel again.

"Come on," I say, taking her hand and leading back the way she came. "Where is everyone?"

"Violet and Auggie aren't here yet," she says. "I haven't seen hide or hair of Wonka at all. Charlie is in his house in some snowy looking area. It looked like a bunch of random shapes around it."

I raise an eyebrow. "It sounds like Charlie and his family are living on Fudge Mountain, or at least a section below. We're going to need the Glass Elevator to get there."

As we ride around, getting slammed into the walls every now and again at sharp turns, Veruca asks, "How do you know about the mountains?"

"Charlie and I saw them after you and your dad fell into the chute. Wonka decided at that point that he would take us through the elevator to see some stuff." I cringe, remembering a certain thing we passed that he refused to talk about. "I think that day made me swear off cotton candy."

She looks at me funny. "Why?"

"We passed by a room with those Oompa-Loompas shaving pink sheep. Their woolly coats looked too much like cotton candy for _that_ to be a coincidence."

At this, Veruca shudders too. I debate on whether or not I should tell Auggie or Violet when they come.

It's not long before the Elevator has taken us to the very top of Fudge Mountain. In the entry way we end up in, I see a pink bed laying in a section of it with a dresser off to the side, a neat mound of clothes laying on it. Further ahead, the path splits off two ways.

"I'm sleeping in this section," Veruca explains before I can say a word. "There are more beds through there for the rest of you." She points off to the right. "Drop off your bag and then I'll take you down the mountain."

She sits down while I continue onto the next section, where there is a computer in one part of the room, a TV in another, and a black and red bed in the middle of it all. Yep, this is for me. I drop the bag and go back to Veruca.

She leads me down the left path now, towards a ski lift. We hop in and make our way down.

Moments later, we're trudging through powdered sugar (we know it's not snow or the Oompa-Loompas wouldn't be here) and right up to the front door. I knock on it, and the door swings open to reveal a woman with messy hair and a shawl thrown on her shoulders smiling kindly at us as she looks us over. It's Charlie's mom.

"Hello," she says. "You must be Charlie's friends."

Veruca and I nod. "Come in," she says, stepping back before calling out, "Charlie! Your friends are here!"

As we enter we see how lopsided Charlie's house actually looks. Even the front door is tilted at a weird angle. In front of us are four old people, three in bed and one sitting on the edge, waving to us to the best of their ability. Off to the side is a man reading the news, probably his dad. We look up and see a slight second floor-esque ceiling where a rope ladder hung. A face peers out through the hole.

"Thanks, Mom," he says, before gesturing to us. "Come on up, you two."

We cross the room to climb the ladder and only then does the newspaper man notice us, surveying us with mild interest.

"He's just tired lately," Charlie explains, when we make our way up. Then he high fives me. "Welcome, Mike. I hope your trip here wasn't as dismal as Veruca's."

I turn to her. "What happened?"

Veruca tells us about how her dad is ignoring her almost as much as her mom does and flat out refused to take her here, that her aunt had to bring her.

"Your parents are ignoring you?" I ask. "I wish mine _would_ ignore me. They spent this whole year treating me like some kind of servant. Mom even hit me a few times if I wasn't fast enough." I point at my right arm, which has tape over a part of it. "My mom almost ripped this arm off before she forgot it was still paper like. I had to call a taxi to get here because they didn't want to drive me over here either."

Charlie sighs. "I feel like they are being too extreme with these punishments."

Out through the hole in the ceiling (which was partially patched but still snowed a bit of sugar in) came an Oompa-Loompa's voice. Confused, Charlie pokes his head out the window.

A beat. Then Charlie says, "We may have a problem over in the Chocolate Room. Those Oompa-Loompas are going crazy over something in there. Like, chocolate cocoa bean crazy."

"You mean just now and no other time ever?" Veruca makes a face. "Something isn't adding up."

"Well, we'd better get down there and investigate," says Charlie. "Come on."

—

The first thing we hear is the chocolate waterfall pouring down, as usual.

The second thing we hear is more unusual.

It's a bunch of Oompa-Loompas, laughing for no good reason at all. Even though we've all heard it before, right before we were about to ride the boat, it was still weird to hear.

Then we hear a third thing, the pitter-pattering of feet around the place. We look and see many Oompa Loompas running in one swarm, chasing after something.

It's then that we catch the smell of chocolate much stronger in the air than usual. It's not the river, it's something else. But we can't place it, until...

_"Help!"_

We freeze. We know that voice, but the person it belongs to is nowhere in sight.

"Help!" they call again. We turn to where we think the voice is.

And then we see him. Holding onto the tops of a candy apple tree for dear life while the Oompa-Loompas jump at him. His formerly red hair is now mostly brown, as is a part of his left arm.

_"Augustus!"_


	3. Chapter 3: A Bad Case of Cocoa Fever

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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And of course I screamed. How could they do that to me?!/p  
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Once you snap a part off, it turns brown for good. My hair was a mix of red and brown for the time being./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Remember that I said that I thought my hair was the only mutated part?/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Well, I was wrong. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I had woken up from a nightmare in which I was larger-than-life Augustus Pottle (yes, more than how I was, since I have been dieting lately I've gotten a bit thinner) constantly having candy poured into my mouth, unable to move. I had woken up screaming and fell off the bed onto my left side./p  
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I screamed louder. My mother had to come up and check on me. And man, she was pale. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Meanwhile, my father was taking every excuse he could to stay up in his butcher shop. I found it funny that he thought that he might butcher me if he lost control./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I mean, do I look like that meat you cut up last week, Father?/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The chocolate spread to my elbow area, only on the side where the elbow cap actually was, though, so my entire upper half was not chocolate, thank goodness./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It took a week for my shoulder to grow back./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Charlie had given me a candy that stopped it from spreading, telling me it was too late to make one that would cause the chocolate to recede. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Yep, that is my life right now./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Fast forward to today and my cousin, Miranda Grope, and her parents, are here just for some visit. They live in the UK like Veruca and Charlie do, so their German accents have long since dropped./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And all of them are trying to reach for a chocolate piece of me after I had absentmindedly pulled off a piece of my hair during dinner while in deep thought of my trip. And here we are./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Mother!" I cry out, leaning back in my chair. "span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hilfe!/span" Dining chairs are not meant for leaning, so I am trying to keep it balanced before it tips./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She's in the kitchen with Father, who has been there since dinner was half through, making thing after thing for later. Even when he stopped, he did not come out and so in she went and left me to deal with them./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Let me have some, Auggie!" Miranda snaps. I do not hate that nickname, but I dislike it when span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"she/span uses it. Only my friends can call me Auggie, and a few have called me Gus on some occasions. My mom still calls me Gussy sometimes. Charlie once called me Octavius and he had to tell me the story of Julius Caesar to explain that one./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Augustus," Mother's voice finally reaches me, "are you fighting with Miranda again?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No!" I yell back. "Zhere trying to pull at my hair!" I swat another hand and lean back a bit further. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Miranda swipes at my hair and rips some of it off, the part that was still looking red. I make it a point to only eat off the same places so I can keep some of my old hair. There is not much left now./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I scream, in anger and frustration, losing balance and hitting the windowsill that is right by where my chair is with a loud thunk. They go quiet above me, the only sound being my heartbeat./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And then, my mom./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Augustus, vhat vas zhat noise?!" she yells, and then the door swings open and her face goes from fury to surprise. My relatives' faces are shocked as well./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh my goodness!" She rushes over to me. "Are you alright?! span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"G/spanspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"eht es dir gut, mein sohn?"/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"We all switch to German when we are nervous, my mother more likely so. Usually we speak English even if we are back in Germany, and Miranda's parents hate it when we speak it around them since they rarely use it themselves./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I shake my head. "I fell out of my chair, Mother. And Miranda ripped some of my hair out!" I shout, pointing at her. She still holds the offending tuft in her hand. "I just vant to head out for my trip already..."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What trip?" Miranda suddenly demands. I roll my eyes. Mother answers her./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He is going to Herr Wonka's factory for a vhile," she explains as she helps me to my feet. "He has bonded with zhe other children over letters and is going out to visit zhem."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Miranda's eyes narrow. "I should have won that ticket, not you."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I raise a brow to that. "But do you not hate chocolate? Or any candy, for zhat matter?" /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So? Mike Teavee does too."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But you did not crack zhe system like him. He vas just proving a point."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And I can't? Jesus, Auggie, you need to work on your logic."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Stop calling me zhat."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What? Auggie? Why can't I call you that?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I stiffen. "Only my friends call me zhat. And as far as I am concerned, you are not my friend, you are zhe bratty cousin I am stuck putting up with."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"My mother looks shocked, but does not even reprimand me. Something tells me she feels about the same. Miranda's mouth just moves up and down like a fish out of water. My uncle does not even say anything, merely glares at me. Only my aunt says something. "How dare you! Apologize to Miranda at once!"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not if she does not apologize for ripping my hair out," I say, arms crossed. "She started this."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Why should she apologize? You hurt her feelings."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, she hurt my head ripping at my hair like zhat, not to mention making me fall over. If she does not have to say sorry to me then I certainly do not have to say it to her."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"My mother says, "Enough!" She turns to me. "Go make sure your stuff is packed, Gussy. I am taking you to the airport shortly after zhis." Then she turns to Miranda and her parents. "If your daughter will not apologize, dear sister, you have no more purpose being here. Either make her or leave right now. And I know how much you hate missing out zhe plum pudding, so hurry."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"—/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When I come back out, suitcase and messenger bag in tow, Miranda and her family are gone and Mom's wrapping some plum pudding for me for later. I snicker, guess they did not want to apologize./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I fall asleep on the ride over. All I can think is span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"why me?/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"—/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I head on in through the entrance, only letting the Glass Elevator take my suitcase away from me. As I walk, I see the Shrinking Door appear. I shudder. Beyond this door is a barrage of my ignorance and a bad memory that has wrecked my being./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Despite this, I push the door open and walk inside. The Chocolate Room still looks as grandiose as it did last year. It did not appear that anything had changed in this one place./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Well, save for the half-wall glass railings by the riversides./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I shake my head. And press right on./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"My skin is suddenly seeping the scent of fresh cocoa beans. And I am not sure why it is./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"What a cruel joke./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"At first I am not sure what the weird high pitched noise I am hearing is coming from. It seems to come from nowhere. But then I turn and look at the nearest Oompa Loompa on a candy apple tree, attempting to swing one down./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He pauses. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He sniffs the air./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He turns about, looking, until he is looking right at me./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Then he starts to laugh, a weird expression crossing his face./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He climbs down from the tree, and stands there a moment, holding my gaze there, still giggling./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The sounds gets louder. More of them keep laughing and staring./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And then it happens./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"They span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"run./span /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Right AT me./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I shriek, immediately, and take off running./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"There is nowhere to hide, really./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I climb to the top of the candy apple tree and hang there as they all jump up at me. It's hopeless now.../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Help!" I cry out, even though I am sure it is pointless. Who would hear me? span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Help!"/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"That is when I hear my name a bit off, and I dare to look up to the sound. I am shocked, but relieved at who I see in my vision./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Charlie! Veruca! Mike!" I say finally, after it wears off. "Call zhem off, please!"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I see Charlie withdraw a whistle from his pocket and play a certain tune that I recognize at once from an old movie we all watched over a video chat once./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Only a moment, and then all the Oompa-Loompas stop laughing, finally, and do an About Face, walking to the other three in a neat square formation, the 9 of them. Mike shudders and Veruca just looks on./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You should be ashamed, you know," Charlie tells them. "I don't want you chasing off my friends, understood?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"They all bow and get back to work. The one that had been in this tree scurries off somewhere else. I climb down./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That vas a close one," I say, hugging myself tight. "I am not ready for another crazy adventure in zhis room, if you do not mind."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Charlie laughs a bit, Veruca hugs me in comfort, and Mike asks, "Why were they even chasing you? Did you get close to the river again?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before I can answer, Veruca does so instead. "He smells like cocoa. Wonka said they were crazy for that stuff, remember?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Mike nods. "All that laughing too, when they were hyped on it before we got to the boat."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I tilt my head. "A boat? Vhat do you mean?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You were taken out right before we got to the boat, that's right," Charlie remembers. "Here, I'll call the boat so we can ride it back to Fudge Mountain." He giggles at my surprised expression before blowing the whistle again. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Through a dark tunnel is a pink dragon-shaped boat coming out. The sound of a drum beat fills the air, and then I see a ton of Oompa Loompas rowing in tandem. I get nervous./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Will they not try to attack me?'/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Them? No way. They can't exactly just up and stop their only job," Charlie says./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Just in case, though," Veruca says, "sit in the back."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I head over and do just that. Charlie sits beside me, with Mike and Veruca in front of us. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Away we go!" Charlie calls./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As it rows inside, I hear Veruca ask, "is it going to take the same route we went or a different one?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""We're taking the calmer roundabout this time," Charlie says, "the wild one won't get us where we want to go. Another time."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It is quiet for a few moments./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"But suddenly it is cut off by loud clanging noises and a bunch of muttering./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Uh oh, I know what that was. The question now is what caused it," Charlie says./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And then a voice pierces the air./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""What do you think you're doing in here?!/span span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All of us jump./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That's Mr. Wonka!" Mike says. "Who's he yelling at?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The boat reaches a shore. Charlie climbs out first. "I don't know, but I'm guessing I'm going to end up in a one-on-one therapy session again."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Veruca climbs out next. "With who? Wonka or the Oompa Loompa?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Depends on who's more traumatized," he says with a shrug, walking down the corridor just as Mike and I get out./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"In a single file line we head down until we reach a door. I do not recognize it, but the others do. Charlie pushes open the door./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And the sight before us is shocking./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Across the floor are cube candies with eyes that looked every which way, muttering as some bounce along the floor. I wonder who on earth would even think of eating them, because even old me would not have dared./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"At the other end of the room is Wonka. He holds a large silver tray in his gloved hands. Though his eyes are hidden in his goggles, it is obvious that he is glaring once he turns and sees us enter./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh great, more of them?" he says in an exasperated tone. "Why didn't you warn me, Charlie?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I did," Charlie says with an edge. "I told you they were coming."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, next time," Wonka snaps, as he passes by, thrusting the tray into Charlie's hands as he leaves, "you'd better designate an entrance so they don't come in here messing up stuff like that one did." He points from where he came and with that just leaves./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"We all turn back and are surprised to see who had been on the other end of his ire, for this was no Oompa Loompa, even though she suffered the same fate as 20 of them supposedly had, the only remains of this adventure being her blue right arm, left leg, and streaks in her slightly longer bob cut. Another fact that remained is that she had been doing a handstand the entire time./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Violet?!"/span/p 


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